Stampede at Burdwan Railway Station: Chaos as passengers rush to board trains, several injured

A sudden rush to board multiple trains at West Bengal’s Burdwan Railway Station caused a stampede on a crowded foot overbridge, injuring at least seven passengers. The brief chaos exposed serious crowd management and infrastructure lapses in railway safety.

West Bengal: A major accident occurred at Burdwan Railway Station in West Bengal on Sunday evening when passengers rushed to board trains parked on the platforms, triggering a stampede. The incident occurred between 5:15 and 5:25 p.m. on October 12, 2025.

The stampede occurred on the stairs of the foot overbridge (FOB) connecting platforms 4 and 5, injuring at least seven passengers.

Cause of Crowd and Chaos

The arrival of three trains at the station simultaneously in the evening caused unusual crowding on the platforms.

According to sources, at that time, a train bound for Haldibari was stationed on platform 5, a mail train on line 4, and a train bound for Rampurhat was stationed on line 6.

 

Passengers began climbing and descending the narrow stairs of the foot overbridge simultaneously to board these three trains. As the crowd grew, jostling and panic set in. Some passengers lost their balance and fell, leading to a stampede.

Eyewitness Accounts

Eyewitnesses reported that the station was so crowded that evening that there was barely enough space to even step onto the foot overbridge.

People began falling over each other, injuring several passengers. Although the situation was brought under control within a few minutes, the chaos continued for about 10 minutes.

Treatment of Injured Passengers

The passengers injured in the accident were immediately admitted to Vardhman Medical College and Hospital. According to hospital sources, all the injured suffered minor injuries, and some were discharged after first aid.

Railway Administration's Response

The railway administration issued a statement stating that this was not a major accident but rather a brief chaos caused by the crowd. According to railway officials, the situation was immediately brought under control, and passengers were safely evacuated.

In addition, instructions have been issued to increase traffic control and security personnel deployment on the foot overbridge to prevent such incidents in the future.

The Only Accessible Route Becomes a Crisis

According to information, there is only one foot overbridge for passenger movement between platforms 4 and 6 at Vardhman station. This is why, when multiple trains arrive simultaneously, the pressure of the crowd increases on this bridge.

Passengers say that the railway should construct an additional bridge or a wider access road to prevent such incidents in the future. This incident at Vardhman Railway Station once again demonstrates the inadequate passenger safety measures at railway stations.

Although there were no major casualties this time, this incident serves as a reminder that structural improvements and management changes are necessary to handle increasing rail congestion.

If timely measures are not taken, such accidents could become even more serious in the future.